Technical Field
This invention relates to the general technical field of exercise, physical fitness and physical therapy equipment and machines. This invention relates more specifically to the field of cardiovascular and strength conditioning rowing exercise simulator machines wherein the weight of the user plus a movable user support provides the resistance to the exercise motion and does not require a separate resistance source.
Prior Art
Exercise, physical fitness and physical therapy equipment and machines are available in various configurations and for various purposes, and are available for all of the major muscle groups. Most of these machines and equipment, especially in the exercise field, require a separate resistance mechanism to impart force upon the user to the exercise motion provided by the machine. Most rowing simulator exercise machines require a force transfer component such as a belt or cable operatively connected to a force resisting mechanical assembly such as a fan, inertia disc with a braking component, an enclosed liquid container that resist rotating paddles or a combination of force resisting mechanical assemblies. These force resisting mechanical assemblies add additional cost to producing these products, they require additional maintenance and increase the amount of wear components.
This inventor has previously developed exercise machines that simultaneously combine upper and lower body motions. However, the current invention is another type of exercise motion that concurrently engages a user's upper and lower body that fills a need not previously met.
Most prior art rowing exercise machines have generally been developed to simulate rowing a boat in the water which requires a one directional concentric motion resistance only that has to be provided by a mechanical assembly to impart force against the pulling handle. Other prior art rowing machines provide variations of at least partial body weight resistance but have deficiencies when compared to the unique function of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,929 of Peterson teaches a rowing machine with a separate flywheel resistance mechanism for the pulling handle and a separate flywheel resistance mechanism for the slidable user seat. While this may be a useful feature for certain users both of these flywheels require constant motion to impart force upon the pulling handle or seat. Furthermore, these additional resistance components increase the manufacturing cost and the amount of wear items in the machine. This machine also keeps the angular orientation of the user seat constant relative to the floor throughout the range of motion which makes it more challenging to achieve the correct torso angle at the fully extended range of motion. The present invention overcomes both of these deficiencies first by eliminating the need for an additional resistant producing mechanism and secondly by positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the starting position of the exercise wherein the user seat is parallel to the floor and positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the fully extended position of the exercise wherein the user seat is angled upward from front to back and the user's hips have increased in elevation relative to the user's feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,211 of Roach teaches a rowing simulator machine comprising a user seat that is slidably engaged with a stationary base support frame and a footrest and force resistance mechanism also slidably engaged with said stationary base support frame. Said user seat and foot rest and force resistance mechanism are slidably engaged with said stationary base frame such that the user seat and footrest and force resistance mechanism can slide horizontally in a forward or rearward direction during the exercise motion. This inertia flywheel resistance mechanism requires constant motion to impart force upon the pulling handle. Furthermore, this additional resistance component increases the manufacturing cost and the amount of wear items in the machine. This machine also keeps the angular orientation of the user seat constant relative to the floor throughout the range of motion which makes it more challenging to achieve the correct torso angle at the fully extended range of motion. The present invention overcomes both of these deficiencies first by eliminating the need for an additional resistant producing mechanism and secondly by positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the starting position of the exercise wherein the user seat is parallel to the floor and positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the fully extended position of the exercise wherein the user seat is angled upward from front to back and the user's hips have increased in elevation relative to the user's feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,188 of Dreissigacker teaches a rowing simulator machine comprising a user support seat slidably mounted on a stationary horizontal base frame and a pulling handle operatively connected to force resisting mechanical flywheel assembly and a feet engagement surface mounted on the stationary main frame such that engagement of the pulling handle by the user generates a resistance force of the flywheel during the exercise motion. This inertia flywheel resistance mechanism requires constant motion to impart force upon the pulling handle. Furthermore, this additional resistance component increases the manufacturing cost and the amount of wear items in the machine. This machine also keeps the angular orientation of the user seat constant relative to the floor throughout the range of motion which makes it more challenging to achieve the correct torso angle at the fully extended range of motion. The present invention overcomes both of these deficiencies first by eliminating the need for an additional resistant producing mechanism and secondly by positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the starting position of the exercise wherein the user seat is parallel to the floor and positioning the user at the correct biomechanical torso angle at the fully extended position of the exercise wherein the user seat is angled upward from front to back and the user's hips have increased in elevation relative to the user's feet.
US Patent Publication No. 20140243136 of Edmondson teaches a rowing simulator exercise machine comprising a base having a raised front end and a lower rear end: a user supporting seat slidable on the base and footrest for receiving a user's feet on the base; a rotational inertia device for providing resistant to the user during use rotatable about a first shaft; a handle for grasping by the user connected on an end of a cable, which engages the first shaft for rotating the rotational inertia device upon application of a rearwardly directed force by the user, the handle and the cable being moveable between a retracted rest position and an extended use position upon application of the force by the user, thereby simulating rowing. This machine is similar to most prior art rower exercise machines which simulate rowing a boat in the water in that it requires a mechanical rotational inertia flywheel with a uni-directional clutch in the hub of the flywheel to providing resistance to the exercise motion, however most of these prior art rowers utilize a spring or elastic cable to return the pulling handle to the starting position from the end of the rowing stroke because the uni-directional clutch flywheel imparts one directional force only during the concentric motion when the pulling handle is being pulled and does not apply any return force to bring the pulling handle back to the start position. The Edmondson '326 machine is designed to eliminate the spring or elastic cable component that returns the pulling handle to the start position and replace it with a gravity fed return force but said gravity fed force is not adequate or intended to provide the amount of resistance required for the concentric pulling motion of the exercise. As with other flywheel resisted devices, Edmondson '326 teaches foot straps that allow the user's legs to assist with the return force of the pulling chain further emphasizing that the return force of the pulling chain is not designed to provide significant concentric or eccentric resistance to the exercise movement. Edmondson '326 also teaches an optimal handle return force of a constant 7 pounds that is designed to take up the slack of the handle pull chain during the return motion of the exercise but would not provide adequate resistance to even the most deconditioned user during the pulling motion of the exercise. This constant 7 pounds of handle return force is achievable even with various weight users whereby the movable user support stays in constant slidable contact with a supporting base frame so that only a very small percentage of the user support and the user's body weight affect the return force to the pulling handle. The flywheel resistance mechanism required by Edmondson '326 adds to the cost of producing the machine and creates additional wear items when compared to the current invention. Although the angle of the user seat of Edmondson '326 does vary slightly from the start position to the fully extended position it slopes downward from front to back thereby lowering the user's hips relative to the user's feet in the fully extended position and places the user's torso relative to the user's hips in what many users would consider a more challenging position to complete the exercise motion. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the Edmonson '326 machine first by eliminating the need for an additional resistant producing mechanism which saves manufacturing cost and reduces wear items. Resistance in addition to the user's weight and the weight of the user support is not required for the present invention because the drive cable lifts the user and user support away from contacting the support base except for the forward pivot so that most of the weight of the user and user support is supported by the drive cable which imparts force to the pulling handle creating a substantial amount of variable resistance to the exercise motion in both the concentric and eccentric portions of the exercise and said resistance to the pulling handle is reduced by the force reduction transmission so the machine can be operated by users or ordinary ability. This amount of weight resistance also eliminates the need for foot straps to assist with moving the handle back to the start position further reducing cost and wear items. In overcoming another deficiency of other rowing machines, the current invention positions the user at the correct biomechanical hip and torso angle at the starting position of the exercise wherein the user seat is parallel to the floor and positioning the user at the correct biomechanical hip and torso angle at the fully extended position of the exercise wherein the user seat is angled upward from front to back and the user's hips have increased in elevation relative to the user's feet thereby placing the user's torso in a better position relative to the user's hip to complete the rowing exercise motion.
WO International Application No. 2016/064605 of Campanaro teaches a rowing simulation machine comprising a support structure; a movable user support movably associated with the support structure for movement relative to the support structure; a movable foot support movably associated with the support structure for movement relative to the support structure; a handle; and a rowing assembly operatively associated with the handle and at least the movable foot support to cause at least the movable foot support to move relative to the support structure with movement of the handle so that so that both a user's body and one or both feet move relative to the support structure with movement of the handle. Campanaro '605 uses body weight for a portion of the resistance component such that the user support, the mechanical rowing assembly and the foot support all move in a fixed upward slope from the at rest position to the fully extended position. However, the mechanism also requires at least one resistance device such as a spring to be connected at a first end to the stationary base and connected at a second end to the movable foot support. The fixed slope of Campanaro '605 keeps the user's hips elevated relative to the user's feet throughout the entire range of motion and many users would prefer to increase the elevation of the user's hips relative to the user's feet from the starting position to the fully extended position as they go through the range of motion as is provided in the current invention. The sliding foot support on Campanaro 605 also creates additional wear components as opposed to the foot support of the present invention which is rigidly attached to the user support frame.